The present invention relates generally to the field of wrapping machines and specifically to napkin wrapping machines. There are a great many wrapping machines that are known in the art. In fact the inventor has made several improvements in the art of wrapping machines and has received several patents on those improvements. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,426,825 (Nordstrom), U.S. Pat. No. 5,038,549 (Nordstrom), U.S. Pat. No. 4,624,096 (Nordstrom), and U.S. Pat. No. 5,050,724 (Nordstrom).
However, the inventor knows of no prior art which uses the unique and simple design of the present invention to wrap napkins in a high speed and high efficiency manner. The present invention represents a significant improvement over currently used napkin wrapping machines in that it produces on average less than one percent (1%) scrap. Typically packaging that has to be scrapped is created by the failure to properly seal the polyethylene (poly) film that is normally used to wrap the napkin material. Currently, most machines today average up to thirty percent (30%) scrap. Thus, the present invention is a significant improvement in the art.
Also, many wrapping machines require the product that is to be wrapped to vary in speed as it moves through the machine as various wrapping processes are applied to it. The present invention does not vary the speed at which the product moves through the machine but rather has the wrapping and sealing mechanisms of the machine move at the same relative speed as the packaging so that, even though the packaging is moving at a constant speed through the machine, the functions of sealing and wrapping occur in a relatively stationary environment since the positions of package and the sealing and wrapping mechanisms are essentially stationary relative to each other regardless of the speed of the machine. Thus, constant speed may be maintained per each wrapping and sealing cycle.
Accordingly, it is the objective of this invention to provide a high speed napkin wrapping machine that produces a low level of scrap material, ideally around or less than one percent (1%), while at the same time producing finished wrapped napkin packages at a rate equal to or greater than those machines currently in the marketplace today.